Acne Explained

Face It – Acne affects almost everyone at some point in life. While Acne is not a life threatening skin condition, moderate or severe acne can dramatically affect your psychological health and self-esteem.

Acne: Demystified & Explained

There are four major causes of Acne: Overproduction of Sebum (skin oil), Irregular Shedding of Dead Skin Cells, Infection by P. Acnes bacteria and Oxidative Stress from Sun Exposure.

What’s Going On Inside Your Body – Hormones & Sebum Over-Production

At the onset of puberty, your body increases the production of Androgen Hormones (the “sex hormones”). Testosterone, the main hormone, stimulates the production of Sebum, the oil that protects your skin. An enzyme, 5-alpha reductase, converts Testosterone to Dihydroxytestosterone, an especially potent form of Testosterone, that triggers the body to produce yet even more Sebum than Testosterone itself. This is the genetic basis of acne.

P. Acnes, a bacteria that is a normal resident on the skin of every person, get trapped in the hair follicles. P. Acnes feed on sebum. The P. Acnes increase dramatically, feeding on the excess sebum, triggering inflammation. The result is a pimple.

Two of the main components of Sebum are Squalene and Vitamin E. Squalene is very sensitive to sunlight. UV radiation from sunlight causes Squalene to cleave into free radicals that are damaging to the skin and cause Inflammation – this is also known as Oxidative Stress. Vitamin E, an antioxidant, prevents Squalene from cleaving into skin-damaging and inflammation-causing free radicals when your skin is exposed to sunlight. This is the environmental basis of acne.

A person with acne produces 2 times more Squalene and ½ times less Vitamin E!

What You Can Do To Control Acne – Inside and Out

The key to controlling acne is a suite of products and treatments that combat both the internal and external causes of acne – products with ingredients that: